Operation Blackshadow
Operation Blackshadow was the invasion of Guatemala by the United States and Mexico between 30 January and 14 February 1951. The invasion occurred during the presidency of Harry Truman, and it was the first instance of US military intervention in Latin America since the early 1930s and the second example of US combat deployment during the Cold War. The goal of the invasion was to overthrow the socialist government of Davor Marcos, a goal which was achieved in just two weeks in a swift invasion. Prelude ]]Guatemala was a Central American country that had previously had a history of political crises, with the United States supporting the rule of dictators in the country to prevent leftist rulers from taking power and transforming their nations into communist states. In 1944, the pro-US dictator Jorge Ubico was overthrown in a popular coup by Juan Jose Arevalo, who was a leftist; Arevalo instituted reforms that gave land to the peasants and increased workers' rights in the country. On 10 November 1950, a socialist government under Davor Marcos was democratically elected after Arevalo decided not to run for another term as President, alarming the United States, which feared Guatemala gravitating towards the USSR-aligned sphere of influence. On 1 December 1950, Marcos nationalized all US industries in Guatemala, which incensed President Harry Truman. Truman was concerned with the economic implications the nationalization could have, as well as the growth of a socialist government just to the south of the United States. Truman secured a mutual defense pact with Mexico as well as a full transit treaty, allowing for US forces to be stationed in Mexico. Starting in late November of 1950, US Army troops were called up from the reserves and deployed in Chiapas on the border with Guatemala, massing up along the border. US planes stationed in Belize and in Mexican airbases were able to strike at Guatemala and make several trips, which would increase the impact of the bombing raids on the Guatemalan military, which numbered no more than 30,000 troops. American CIA agent John T. Forrestal was stationed in Guatemala City, which allowed for the Americans to have an idea of Guatemala's troop deployments. The government Mexico agreed with the US invasion, and President Miguel Aleman Valdes pledged Mexico's support to America in the conflict, contributing troops for the attack. Invasion Early in the morning on 30 January 1951, the United States officially declared war on Guatemala, gaining the element of surprise against the resting Guatemalan military. The US mechanized infantry forces on the border pushed down the highway from Quetzaltenango towards Chimaltenango, capturing Quetzaltenango at the start of February without violence. On 1 February, the American forces engaged the Guatemalan troops on the road, and by 2 February they had succeeded in clearing the path from the Guatemalan Army, with some Mexican forces advancing to the left of the Americans as they pushed on the capital. On 3 February, Mexican forces clashed with Guatemalan armor along the western side of the highway as American forces pushed towards the capital's outskirts. From then until 4 February, the Americans pushed into the capital city, securing it in the morning. More US troops were sent to the country in the following days, pouring through Mexico through all frontiers from the USA. The US Air Force bombed Guatemalan positions in the countryside and the relocated Guatemalan capital of Puerto Barrios, and from 10-11 February 1951, US and Guatemalan armored forces fought in the city. When the Guatemalan armor was destroyed in a short battle, the Americans occupied the city, and early on 14 February the United States made peace with Guatemala. Marcos was deposed and the pro-US Albretch Saldana Elsner was installed as the new President. The invasion cost the USA 693 dead, wounded, or missing in action; 8,554 Guatemalan troops were killed or wounded in the brief war. Reactions Intergovernmental organizations * United Nations - The United Nations Secretary-General Trygve Lie expressed his disapproval on behalf of the UN, which condemned any wars of aggression. However, the approval of the United States did not drop significantly due to the justification of the US invasion, and the UN response to the invasion was mostly rhetoric. * Warsaw Pact - The Warsaw Pact condemned the invasion, although they took no action to halt the American invasion of Guatemala. Many Warsaw Pact nations' relations with the United States - already very shaky - deteriorated upon hearing the news of the US and Mexican invasion of Guatemala. * NATO - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, to which the United States belonged, supported the United States' invasion of Guatemala with rhetoric, and some countries in NATO continued to make arms deals with the United States. Nations like Denmark, Italy, and Belgium gave military units to the United States in exchange for a lump sum of tens of millions of dollars, giving unofficial assistance to the US at the time of the invasion. Countries * China - Chairman Mao Zedong condemned the United States' invasion of Guatemala, claiming that it was an unprovoked assault on a smaller and weaker country. China was already in a state of war with the USA in the Korean War, and the condemnation had little effect on US-Chinese relations. * Dominican Republic - Unlike most of the other Third World countries that responded to the United States' invasion of Guatemala, the Dominican Republic was supportive of the invasion. The government reaffirmed its friendship with the United States, which had befriended them upon Daniel Guay and Francois Durce's coup in December 1950. * India - Jawaharlal Nehru, the head of the Non-Aligned Movement, condemned the US invasion of Guatemala due to its violation of Guatemala's sovereignty and neutrality. Nehru did not recall the ambassador to the USA, however, as India was not ready to take such large steps over so small a cause. * Soviet Union - The USSR condemned the United States' invasion of Guatemala as a war of aggression, and the Soviets were forced to withdraw all military aid from the country when the pro-US government took power. The United States in turn criticized the USSR for giving Guatemala weapons and training, saying that they were interfering in the Western Doctrine, opposed to the Roosevelt Corollary and Monroe Doctrine. * United Kingdom - Prime Minister Clement Attlee was supportive of the American invasion of Guatemala, and he permitted the US Air Force to use British airbases in Belize as launching pads for their invasion of Guatemala. Britain supported the news of the US invasion in front of the UN. Category:Battles Category:Wars Category:Cold War Category:Events